


those who used buoys as floats for their lines

by unwisely



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Domesticity, Established Relationship, F/M, Mourning, Post-Canon, mentions of dead characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 21:47:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21288683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwisely/pseuds/unwisely
Summary: At the end of the world, Armin counts his blessings.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman & Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman/Armin Arlert
Comments: 8
Kudos: 50





	those who used buoys as floats for their lines

**Author's Note:**

> I read over this thrice, but I'm sure there might still be some errors. Apologies for any mistakes.

White gulls squawk overhead before they swoop in to capture dead arthropoda littered over the sand. Small calming waves crash onto the beach, splashing his face with drops of salty water. A slight breeze softly cards through his hair. Hair that's shorter now than it was in his youth.

Armin remembers all too distinctly the wonder he felt when he read about the sea in one of his grandfather’s tomes all those years ago. He was still a boy then, oblivious to how much more complicated the world actually was. Back then most of his loved ones were still alive, though now, they were nearly all gone. No matter how much time passed, his heart still ached from their loss. How different would things be if they were all still around today? How different would things be had power and violence and greed not governed the world they lived in?

“Armin,” a soft voice calls out from behind him.

So consumed in his thoughts, he hadn’t noticed Mikasa approaching. Then again, his wife was always light on her feet. Even if he was alert, he doesn’t think he would have noticed regardless.

Mikasa’s dark hair flows like the waves that soak their bare feet into the soft, wet sand beneath them. It’s longer than he’s ever seen it. The long dark tendrils flow down to her lower back, thick and shiny. Now that they didn’t have to worry about war, she no longer bothered cropping it short.

Mikasa is radiant. She always has been, but never had the world given him longer than a moment to fully appreciate it. To think they had known each other since they were small children. Back then she was taller than him, but now she reaches his shoulder and is the one who has to look up. Where her hand once rested on his shoulder, it now, curls around his bicep.

Even before Eren left several years before, they grew closer. As time ticked on, they hardly were ever out of each other’s sights. Most nights they shared dreams of a future without any more bloodshed. As hopeful as he was for such a time, never did he think they’d be so lucky to actually make it. Never did he think they'd share a future together.

“Dinner is ready," she tells him.

Armin presses a soft kiss on the top of her head. “I’m sorry,” He smiles unabashedly. “I lost track of time.”

She nods in understanding. As comfortable they are around each other, even they need a moment alone to remember all that has been lost. For a brief moment, they stand in a comfortable silence, watching the birds dive rapidly to catch some fish at the surface of the water. Then, walking hand-in hand, they return to their small cottage only a few meters away. Armin is greeted by delicious aroma of rabbit stew and his stomach growls impatiently. The two eat their own portions silently before exchanging small smiles at the other across table. They've lost so much, but even after all, they still had each other. 

“I’m glad you’re eating again. This one seems to be a lot more comfortable for you than the first,” he states matter-of-factly.

A blush blooms across Mikasa's cheeks, accompanied by a large toothy smile. Absentmindedly her hand rests on the small swell of her abdomen. This will be their second child. Most days he could hardly believe he was married to Mikasa, let alone the father to her children.

They fell in love somewhere along the way, though neither of them had ever voiced it. They never had to. When the war ended, things changed between them. Though neither of them ever expected it to result in them becoming parents so soon after. Had it really been four years since the war ended? He could hardly believe it. Hardly believe his fortune. He wondered if he deserved it at all. 

“I got Sasha to sleep a little while ago. She’s feeling a lot better than yesterday,” Mikasa looks over to where the dark-haired toddler snores softly on the couch.

Armin sighs a breath of relief. Their daughter had caught a cold the night before. One of the few cons of living by the ocean was it got cold often. Sasha was only three years old and like most toddlers she had no shortage of energy. She was a brilliant, beautiful child who took after her mother through and through. Though, he supposed she took after his inquisitive nature. She loved learning about everything. The birds, the sea, the dilapidated homes not yet torn down after the war. One day he and Mikasa would have to tell her everything, but she was still too young to learn about the screwed up world her parents were born into.

“Did you think she was going to die?” Mikasa asks suddenly and it catches him off guard.

“I… it crossed my mind. I’m sorry.” He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck, “I should have known better. She’s strong like her mother.”

"You are strong, Armin. Stronger than anyone."

_Not as strong as you_, he thinks. 

"Maybe we can go into town tomorrow, so the doctor can give her a once over." 

He nods. 

"You know, I was worried too. We've lost so many people and children are so fragile..." She trails off, not quite wanting to vocalize that morbid thought. “I always think about everyone we lost. Lately, I wonder what they might do if they were here. My parents... My father would have loved to go fishing with you. My mother would teach Sasha how to sew and sing songs.”

Even after all this time, the pain is still present in Mikasa’s voice whenever she talks about her parents. Her expression is one of longing. She yearns for thoughts that will never become reality.

“My mother used to light candles for the dead. She said the lights help guide them to the beyond. I don’t know if that's true, but I hope she’s right.” He had noticed this ritual of hers, but he never realized there was such deep meaning behind it.

Mikasa doesn’t talk about her parents often, but he knows when she does there’s hidden meaning in it. She knows he’s thinking about the ones they lost and so she’s trying to comfort him. He places his hand atop hers in gratitude. No one really knows this woman like he does. Her physical strength and brilliant mind were just part of the things that made her amazing. Underneath what everyone saw was this kind and gentle person. Even when the whole world still saw him as useless, she always valued him. Even when Eren had discarded them, they had each other. They grew together in a way they didn’t with with the friend who left them behind.

Mikasa’s hand is warm when her fingers interlock with his. Their grasp tightens around the other, afraid for a moment that if they let go, this will all disappear.

“Sometimes I can hardly believe we made it,” he voices his thoughts out loud. “Sometimes I worry I’ll wake up from this dream and we’ll watch our comrades die one-by-one all over again.”

“Armin,” Mikasa walks around the table to stand in front of him. “We’re here. We made it.”

“I miss them. Everyone we lost. Sometimes I feel they deserve to be here more than I do.”

She cradles his face in her hands, her dark eyes peering into his lighter ones, “No one deserves peace more than you,” she tells him very seriously. “You fought to be here just as anyone else did. You surviving doesn’t mean you deserve it any less.”

There’s so much depth to her gaze, he finds himself submerging into them. He isn’t entirely sure he deserves her and he doesn’t think he ever will be. World be damned, he wouldn't want his life to have ended up any other way. 

“I’m glad it’s you by my side,” he says, and he’s overjoyed when his declaration is sealed with her lips.


End file.
